Predators Win Sixth Straight in Anaheim as Roman Josi Reaches 800 Points and Shane Wright Scores His First for Nashville

The hottest scorer in hockey got his goal again on Wednesday night. The Nashville Predators made sure it did not matter.

Nashville beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 at Honda Center for its sixth straight win, the Predators' first six-game winning streak since March 2024, NHL.com reported ^[1]. The victory completed a Southern California sweep a night after Juuse Saros made 30 saves in a 3-0 shutout of the Kings in Los Angeles ^[1][2].

Ducks star Cutter Gauthier opened the scoring at 8:08 of the first period, extending his goal streak to seven games, a stretch in which he has scored 14 times, according to NHL.com ^[1]. The Associated Press called it "the NHL's most prolific seven-game goal scoring binge in more than three decades" ^[2]. Gauthier now has 16 goals in 18 games and a career-best nine-game point streak, and AP reported he is the first player since the 1921-22 season to score 12 goals in his team's first six games of a month ^[2]. Southern Sports Today noted he had recorded hat tricks in three of his previous five games ^[4].

How Nashville Answered

The Predators did not let Gauthier's goal hang in the air for long. Jayden Struble tied the game just 21 seconds later, at 8:29 of the first, with Shane Wright picking up the assist ^[1][2].

Nils Hoglander put Nashville ahead at 16:02 of the second period with what AP described as a remarkable between-the-legs finish ^[2]. It was his fourth goal of the season, and Struble's tally was his third ^[2].

The goal that will be remembered in Nashville came at 11:55 of the third. Wright scored his first goal as a Predator, a puck that a video review confirmed had deflected in off the in-net camera, according to NHL.com ^[1]. Wright was acquired from Seattle on Nov. 1 ^[1][2]. Roman Josi assisted on the play, and it was the 800th point of his NHL career ^[1][2][3].

Anaheim pulled within one just 16 seconds later when Mikael Granlund buried a one-timer at 12:11, set up by Beckett Sennecke ^[1]. Veteran Steven Stamkos settled it at 16:04, redirecting a feed from Mavrik Bourque on a 2-on-1 for the insurance goal ^[1].

Goaltending and Defense Made the Difference

Justus Annunen stopped 27 shots to win his fourth consecutive start, AP reported, while Laurent Brossoit made 18 saves for Anaheim and took his first loss in five starts ^[2]. The Ducks went 0-for-3 on the power play, ending a run of eight straight games with a power-play goal dating to Oct. 22 ^[2].

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Nashville's team defense has been the quiet engine of this streak. Southern Sports Today reported the Predators have held opponents to one goal or fewer in four of their last five games ^[4]. The Predators improved to 10-4-5 on the season, according to NHL.com ^[1].

For Anaheim, the loss snapped a five-game winning streak and ended a run of eight straight games with five or more goals, AP reported; the Ducks were the first team to do that since the 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings ^[2]. Anaheim fell to 10-8-1 ^[1]. There was good news for the Ducks, too: forward Troy Terry made his season debut after missing 18 games following hip surgery in June ^[2][4]. Southern Sports Today reported he played 11:41 and finished minus-3 as he works his way back ^[4].

My Take

Two stories in this game deserve more than a box-score line.

The first is Josi. Eight hundred points is a number reserved for the best defensemen of a generation, and Josi has piled them up in one sweater, in one city, as the steady leader of a franchise that has asked a lot of him. In an era when stars change teams the way the rest of us change phone plans, that kind of loyalty is worth celebrating.

The second is Wright. A young player traded less than two weeks ago, still learning new teammates and a new system, chipped in an assist and his first goal for his new club in the same night. Fresh starts are a gift, and Wright is making the most of his.

As for Gauthier, he keeps writing his name into the record books, and Ducks fans have every reason to be excited about where this is going. On Wednesday, though, Nashville showed the recipe for slowing down a hot hand: answer fast, defend as a group and get timely saves.

What Comes Next

Nashville is now 2-0-0 on a five-game road trip, according to Southern Sports Today ^[4], and the trip continues Friday in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights ^[2][3]. The Ducks return to the ice Saturday when they host the New York Islanders ^[2]. Gauthier will take his seven-game goal streak into that one.